Ukrainian drone strike hits Russian refinery 1,200 km from the border

The town of Salavat, in the Russian republic of Bashkortostan, had never been affected until now. Ukraine struck with a drone a Russian refinery which is located at a record distance of almost 1,200 km from its border, the leader of Bashkortostan, Radi Khabirov, said on Telegram on Thursday, May 9. In his message, he mentions “fumes” in part of the refinery, which “works normally”he clarified. “This is an attempt to spoil our celebration,” he added, in reference to the commemorations of the victory against Nazi Germany, which are taking place that same day throughout Russia.

The local Ministry of Emergency Situations assured on Telegram that the incident did not cause any casualties or cause a fire.

“A record” for a Ukrainian strike

Populated by 150,000 inhabitants, Salavat is almost 1,200 kilometers from the Ukrainian border as the crow flies, making this drone strike “a record” for the Ukrainian army, according to a source within the Ukrainian defense sector, cited by AFP.

Ukraine, which has been fighting the Russian invasion for more than two years, has intensified its strikes on Russian military and energy sites since the start of the year, sometimes very far from its border. Since the start of its invasion, Russia has regularly struck civilian sites in Ukraine, starting with its energy infrastructure. A new massive attack of this type hit the country again on Wednesday.